Harrison School District Two

District Policy Index Section G Index: Personnel

DISTRICT POLICY GDE/GDF Educational Support Personnel Recruiting/Hiring Date of revision:  January 24, 2013

ESP Recruiting/Hiring

The Board shall establish and budget for ESP positions in the District on the basis of need and the financial resources of the District.

Recruiting

The selection of candidates for these positions shall be the responsibility of the Superintendent or designee who shall confer with Supervising Administrators in making a selection. All instructional paraprofessionals, and ESP employees assigned to job descriptions requiring NCLB qualifications, hired by the District to provide instructional support for students in Title I Schoolwide Programs, Targeted Assistance Programs, and all other instructional programs, shall meet the qualifications set forth in federal law and regulations.

Vacancies are posted via the District web site. Anyone qualified for a position may submit an application.

At the Superintendent's discretion, applicants for hard-to-fill support positions could receive a one-time stipend at the time the Board approves employment. The stipend is limited to no more than 5% of the annual salary.

Background Checks

Prior to hiring any person, in accordance with state law, the District shall:

1. Conduct background checks with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and an accredited employment screening service regarding the applicant's fitness for employment.
2. Contact previous employers of the applicant to conduct a reference check.

In all cases where credit reports are used in the hiring process, the District shall comply with the Fair Labor Credit Reporting Act.

For ESP positions requiring the employee to operate a District vehicle, the District will obtain authorization in writing from the applicant/employee to procure his/her driving records to evaluate employment, continued employment or insurability under the District's insurance coverage(s).

Fingerprinting

1. All applicants selected for employment in an ESP position must submit a complete set of fingerprints taken by a qualified law enforcement agency or an authorized District employee and a notarized, completed Fingerprint Certificate Form (described in 2 below) as required by state law. (This requirement shall not apply to any student currently enrolled in the District applying for a job.)
2. On the Fingerprint Certificate Form the applicant must certify either that he or she has never been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor charge, not including any misdemeanor traffic offense, or that he or she has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor charge (not including any misdemeanor traffic offense). The form must specify the felony or misdemeanor, the date of conviction and the court entering judgment.
3. The District will release the fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the purpose of conducting a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history record check utilizing the records of CBI and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
4. Although an applicant may be conditionally employed prior to receiving the results, he or she may be terminated if the results are inconsistent with the information provided on the form. The District shall notify the District Attorney of such inconsistent results for action or possible prosecution.
5. The District will charge the applicant a nonrefundable fee to be determined by the Board to cover the direct and indirect costs of fingerprint processing.

   The applicant may pay the fee over a three (3)-month period after employment. The fee will be credited to the fingerprint processing account. Should the employee leave the District prior to full payment of his or her fingerprint costs, the remaining balance due will be deducted from the employee's final pay.

 LEGAL REFERENCES:

15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq. (Fair Credit Reporting Act)
20 U.S.C. 6319 (Paraprofessional requirements under No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)
42 U.S.C. 653 (a) (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act)
34 C.F.R. 200.58, 200.59 (Federal regulations regarding paraprofessional qualifications)
C.R.S. 13-80-103.9 (Liability for failure to perform an education employment required background check)
C.R.S. 14-14-111.5 (Child Support Enforcement Procedures)
C.R.S. 22-2-119 (Duty to make inquiries prior to hiring)
C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1)(f) (Board duty to employ personnel)
C.R.S. 22-32-109.7 (Duty to make inquiries prior to hiring)
C.R.S. 22-32-109.8 (Fingerprinting requirements for non-licensed positions)
C.R.S. 24-5-101 (Effect of criminal conviction on employment)
C.R.S. 24-34-402 (1) (Discriminatory and unfair employment practices)

CROSS REFERENCES:

GBA: Open Hiring/Equal Employment Opportunity